Free Slow Hands by Lauren Bach Page A

and green.
    Panels painted with psychedelic Day-Glo designs unfurled from the ceiling. The fluorescent lights were shut off in favor of black lights and flashing strobes. Tiny racing lights chased up and down the side of the lanes, at different speeds and colors. Even the pins glowed under the black lights.
    Short-skirted waitresses went from table to table on Rollerblades, while music videos blared from the same monitors that aired CNN during the day. The effect was electrifying, like stepping into a futuristic world.
    That night the place was packed with the class reunion attendees. Several people wore fifties-style bowling shirts. Scarlet and Cissy had matching shirts, unbuttoned low, with the collars high.
    Scarlet made a beeline for Keira. "Have you seen Alec?"
    "Nope."
    The other woman looked relieved, then checked her watch. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."
    "That's what he said earlier."
    "You did see him." Scarlet's brows drew together. "I'm only going to tell you this once. Back off. I saw him first." Then she stormed off.
    "Knock yourself out," Keira muttered under her breath. Then she turned and headed for the far side of the alley.
    Franny came up, looped an arm around her shoulders. "What took you so long to get here? Mabel was afraid we'd have to forfeit the game." Franny tugged her toward their lanes.
    Bowling was Mabel's religion. She bowled on the women's senior league. Her booth at the salon sported a huge state championship trophy, plus several small trophies from league play.
    "I had to write up a job for Walt Pelter."
    "Walt Pelter? What kind of job?'
    "He gave me the Chevy dealership."
    "That's the second time this week hell froze over." Franny shook her head. "I thought the Barry brothers had that one?"
    "Guess they tried to shake Walt down for more money."
    "I'd love to see Eddie Barry's face when he hears you got the job," Franny crowed.
    "He already knows, and Walt warned me he's pissed."
    Keira bid regularly against the Barry brothers, another electrical contractor in town. They seemed to be personally affronted by a woman in their line of work and took special joy in harassing her.
    "Any word from Alec?" Franny asked.
    Keira filled her in on Alec's visit to her apartment the night before and to her office that morning.
    "He wants to pretend you're lovers?" Franny rubbed her hands together. "Awesome."
    "Not. I told Alec I was sort of involved."
    "With who?"
    "I didn't say."
    "That's even better." Franny grinned. "Leave that part to me."
    "Oh no you don't."
    "Oh yes I do. I think it's an omen Alec's returned."
    "Yeah. A bad one."
     
    Mabel interrupted, tapping Franny's shoulder. "You're up next. Change your shoes."
    Relieved Franny was distracted, Keira watched as Sally rolled a strike.
    There were eight of them bowling on two adjacent lanes. Girls versus boys. Thanks to Mabel and Sally, the girls were ahead.
    "Watch that hook," Mabel yelled, as Franny moved to take her turn.
    Franny nodded and grabbed her ball.
    All male heads within a ten-lane radius swiveled to watch Franny line up for her approach.
    In keeping with the fifties theme, she wore a pointy Jane Russell bra underneath a tight, white cashmere sweater. She had on black pedal pushers cinched at the waist with a wide red belt. A red chiffon scarf at her neck completed the picture.
    As a bowler, Franny could hold her own. However, her new designer nails wouldn't fit in the holes, so she simply tossed the ball with two hands.
    The ball wobbled down the lane, barely taking out one pin. Everyone clapped. Her second ball hugged the gutter, but still everyone applauded. Especially the guys next to them.
    "We needed the break," Fred, Mabel's husband, confided. "We're losing."
    Sally's fiancée, Stan, and his brother were bowling on the men's side. Keira's employee, Reggie Reeves, filled the fourth male spot. Reggie had been shooting pool and agreed to fill in for Darryl, who'd been detained at the fire station.
    Both Keira and Reggie picked up